The Savage Brothers #1 (Comic Review)

I had to give Savage Brothers a chance. I do share the same last name after all. The fact that they’re redneck zombie hunters in a post apocalyptic world is just icing on the cake. I love zombies. That is to say, I’ve loved zombies since before the world was taken over by zombies. More than zombies though, I love the idea of surviving in a post apocalyptic environment. I’ve always fantasized about me and my loved ones being a group of only a few survivors left on the planet, driving around from state to state, scavenging for food and supplies. I have no idea why I harbor these fantasies, perhaps I just have real disdain for the human race. What I’m getting at here, if something is set in a post apocalyptic setting, it immediately has my attention. Throw some zombies in there, and I’m sitting at half-chub.

The Savage Brothers, as mentioned above, are two redneck brothers who’ve made the best of their bad situation and now hunt zombies as a profession. They don’t really hunt zombies as one might think. It’s not for ideological reasons. They aren’t trying to rid the earth of zombies one at a time, or any such patriotism. No, they’re actually just in it for the scratch. People hire the brothers to put loved ones out of their misery that had joined the ranks of the undead. It’s actually a fairly entertaining story, and I’d love to see a motion picture adaptation of this series, as highly unlikely as that is.

Upon completion of their latest job, the brothers are confronted by some shady men in suits, to track down a doctor that is now a shambling corpse. To do so, though, means to enter the city of Atlanta, and the brothers take issue with that. The cash is ample though, and ultimately they decide to take the plunge. Upon locating their target, the brothers are greeted with a hail of gunfire. Their retreat leads them to their greatest fear about entering the city, as well as a virgin stripper in peril. Shall they ignore the situation and complete their mission? Or is a stripper that happens to be a virgin to rare of an occurrence not to investigate?

I’m really digging on this series so far, so it makes me sad to know that it only survived for three issues. The art is in that classic comic book style I remember from my childhood. It’s not flashy or overly artistic, but it is a perfect representation of the universe that it’s trying to create. The writing is engaging, and often times humorous, intentionally of course. You can really hear that classic country twang in your thoughts as you read. The characters are well illustrated, and brought to life very well by both the writing, as well as the way they’re drawn. I’m almost a little bit apprehensive to continue on into the second and third books. I love what I’m seeing here, but I know it’s not possible for them to give me everything I want in just three issues. Here’s hoping though.